


The Comeuppance of Lex Luthor

by abraxos24



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Batwoman (TV 2019), Black Lightning (TV), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Lex Luthor Being an Asshole, Major Salt, Multi, Original Character(s), POV Lex Luthor, Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe), crisis made me angry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:40:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22353496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abraxos24/pseuds/abraxos24
Summary: Saltfic cause Lex Luthor is a major annoyance that can't get over himself for 5 seconds. Lots of original characters that will teach Lex he's not the center of the universe and actions have consequences. If you haven't seen Crisis on Infinite Earths, major spoilers ahead!A high-pitched noise was ringing in his ears. He frowned. What the hell was that? He looked out the glass windows of his newly reconstructed Luthor Corp, once L-Corp, now renamed LexCorp. Above LexCorp was what looked like a giant wormhole, quickly growing in size, and descending down on his building.This had to be the fault of those heroes.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 27





	1. In Which Lex Luthor is Sucked into an Angry Wormhole

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS AHEAD! Thanks for reading, this is my first fic (not a surprise).

Lex Luthor finally had it all. No one remembered his past, what they conceived to be, evil doings. All he had wanted was to prevent a supremely powerful, ongoing nuisance known as Superman (and they said he was egotistical) to end. Now suddenly there were dozens of “heroes” running around with super powers and he had none! None! And they were all stupid. Lex was the supreme intellect of the planet, Lex was the one who should be revered by all, Lex was the one who should be worshipped!

And now, he finally was. He had received the Nobel Peace Prize, he was finally spoken about in awe by all. He had engineered truth to his whim and no one could do anything about it. Not even those damn disgusting superheroes, with their goddamn code and habit of sticking their noses where they didn’t belong.

Lex knew he would have to deal with them soon. They wouldn’t stand for his so called “transgressions”. He smirked. He would enjoy tearing them all down. Especially the Supers. They would pay for their power. He drummed his fingers on his desk. His new power was delicate. There would be no redo’s this time around. And this time, there were more heroes that could and would be on his ass. While he was sure the Supers considered him “their problem”, that Flash nuisance, or that Batwoman could get involved. 

After all, he was indirectly at fault for the way the end of the universe went. He had also killed a lot of people. What other heroes existed in this new timeline, he wondered. He couldn’t wait to tear them all to pieces. 

He was Lex Luthor, and he would not be denied the power that was rightfully his. He rubbed his hands gleefully together, but then paused.

A high-pitched noise was ringing in his ears. He frowned. What the hell was that? He looked out the glass windows of his newly reconstructed Luthor Corp, once L-Corp (Lena was such a little bitch), now renamed LexCorp. Above LexCorp was what looked like a giant wormhole, quickly growing in size, and descending down on his building. 

This had to be the fault of those heroes. 

_______________________________________________________ 

Barry Allen observed the singularity tiredly. He had just sat down in the nice new cushy chairs he had suddenly provided (he had been working on them for years, he loved the crossovers) when they all got the alert that something was happening in Metropolis. Hell, he hadn’t even seen Iris since he saw their earth disappear like all the other worlds.

It was still weird to him how the other worlds had merged. And he still wanted to get to know this Black Lightning guy. His powers reminded him of Blackout, from six years ago. Speaking of six years ago. The Singularity was somehow back and actively trying to consume LexCorp. A small inner part of Barry was really tempted to run home and ignore it. Lex Luthor was a horrible person who had screwed all of them over at least once. Maybe getting sucked up in a singularity wouldn’t be so bad for him. Supergirl landed beside him. She looked like she had gotten 12 hours of sleep. How, he didn’t know. Barry could feel his eyelids sagging with tiredness and grief. They had just burned a pyre for Oliver. Oliver, who had taught him how to be a hero, who had always been his rock when Barry had felt like he would go to fast and spin out. He felt his eyes burn again and took a deep breath. He could grieve later. He shook himself and looked at Supergirl, now joined by Superman, J’onn, and Ray. The wind was whistling and Barry could see that things were starting to be pulled up.

“What do we do?!” Barry yelled, the storm snatching his voice. 

“All I can think of, if it’s like a tornado, is going in the opposite direction,” Superman said, squinting at the Singularity. Barry shrugged. It’s what they had done way back when, but this time there was no nuclear catalyst.

“We needed a nuclear catalyst last time we dealt with this in Central.” 

“I got you, my man,” Barry heard Cisco say over the comms. Barry grinned. 

“Be back in a flash!” He darted away to the sound of groans. He heard over the comms that the two Supers would work on slowing the singularity until he got back, while Ray and J’onn were on rescue duty. Barry arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs to Cisco holding out a small nuclear device. Quickly, Barry grabbed it, yelled a thank you, and hurried back to Metropolis. When he returned, he could feel his feet being lifted up. The Singularity had grown far stronger, as well as much larger than the one in Central had been. It still seemed focused (for a non-sentient thing of destruction and doom) specifically on destroying LexCorp with extreme ferocity. Barry ran into the Singularity and tossed the small device to Superman. Superman seemed to focus, and crushed the catalyst in his hands, releasing a blast. The Singularity imploded, and Barry felt his feet fly out from under him. I’m sorry, Iris, he thought, as he descended into free fall, too disoriented to catch himself. 

Then, the air was knocked out of him. He looked up and saw Ray Palmer struggling to carry him. They landed roughly on the ground, rolling. Barry saw the newly ruined skyscraper of LexCorp, though it now read L Corp. Supergirl landed beside them, J’onn floating gently down. Supergirl observed the building, smirking.

“Something’s been set right, at least. Even though it is in the wrong city.” Superman landed, the concrete cracking under his feet.

“I can’t find Lex. All his people said he was in his office, but there’s nothing in there. The singularity got pulled it in, including Lex!” He seemed rather panicked about someone who wasn't exactly worth it. They all blinked at him slowly. Then Barry groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, letting his face rest against the asphalt.

“Can we solve that problem tomorrow, please?”  



	2. In Which Lex Luthor Finds Himself Stuck in Limbo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything faded to black, Lex’s last thought being those fucking superheroes are so going to die for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lex lands in an unknown place and meets two OCs. He is not having fun. Chapter was inspired by City of the Dead by Eurielle.

Lex Luthor was beyond terrified. He had been sucked into the wormhole and he was spinning through the darkness, lit by sudden flashes of golden lightning, probably the Flash trying to stop it. He screamed as a dart of lightning got way too close.

Lex didn’t want to die. He was too important, too smart. Lex was a survivor, and refused to die if he didn’t get to A. Take someone with him, or B. Screw someone over so bad that it would affect them for the rest of their lives.

He spun through the wormhole, trying to avoid the debris speeding through alongside him. He managed to avoid large debris, but had gained a multitude of small cuts from glass, as well as a broken nose from his desk chair. Then an explosion shook his surroundings, and the wormhole began to shrink on itself.

Lex’s screams took on an even higher pitch. He was going to die! He had so many things left to do, he was just about to rule the planet, how could it be taken away from him! As the wormhole shrunk, he curled up in a ball, sobbing. He went flying and rolled. He felt himself going down a steep hill. It began with grass, but then quickly transitioned to sharp rocks. Lex yelped as they cut into him, one jarringly close to his eye. Then it was soft and he notice flower petals springing up around him. The incline seemed to steady. Was it over? The incline picked up once again and suddenly there were cacti piercing him everywhere. Then he felt himself catch open air. He looked down and saw a river rushing below him. He screamed and fell, breathing in the water. Choking, he pushed himself to the surface, trying to swim against the current. Instead he plunged off the cliff, the water pounding and twisting him so he no longer knew which way was up.

Everything faded to black, Lex’s last thought being those fucking superheroes are so going to die for this.

________________________________________________________

Aurora “Rory” Carmichael was not enjoying herself. Ever since she had died, she had gotten the thankless job of policing angels and demons and making sure nobody caused the apocalypse. She hadn’t been to the surface to in months, too busy keeping these assholes from tearing each other to pieces. She was tired of being the Carmichael. She had been told this was a gift, but she was beginning to realize it was a curse, and she had been royally duped. Her advisors, Angel and Demon, wolves who she shared a soul with, didn’t hesitate in telling her that yes, _Fucker_ , you were duped. And even better, you now get to spend the rest of eternity doing this shit.

She bashed the heads of two fighting demons together. They dissolved into smoke and quickly ran away from her, sporting headaches she hoped. Rory stepped out onto a balcony. She had used to think death went two ways. Up and down. While that was technically true, no one had realized that Limbo was a thing as well. The more deaths there were, the more backed up it was. Rory stood at the top of a large skyscraper, which was grey, like the rest of this landscape.

The City of the Dead. It was cold, it was dark, and she was the only law in it. Demons and angels and ghosts roamed freely, wreaking as much havoc as they could. Things had changed a few days ago, as those who had appeared so suddenly months ago, billions of dead to be processed due to the apocalypse beginning, had disappeared, likely returning to the land of the living. Rory didn’t like the sudden change. There was a specific order to things, and too many people in the land of the living liked to change things. Dead was dead. No one got second chances unless it was to be cursed, like she was.

She jumped from the balcony, extending ash grey wings, the color of empty, of lost souls. She flapped towards the edge of the city, where the grey met cliffs and plunged into eternity. Sometimes lost souls fell, and it was her job to catch them so they could go on after Limbo. Lost ghosts had a habit of wreaking havoc later in death. Rory had caught two souls who had taken the plunge when she noticed something next to the river. A small pile of rags had washed up on the grey stones. She landed, poking the rags with a metal shod boot. They stirred, and a living person began coughing up water. Rory crouched, tilting her head curiously. Who was this human, and how was he here, alive? He retched, the glow of life slowly growing brighter. His soul did not glow, Rory could see. His soul was black with bitterness and greed and jealousy. If anyone was destined for Hell, it was this man.

Speaking of him, he finally had finished retching, and was turning to look at her. Rory glamoured herself. The dead didn’t care about her looks, but the living certainly would. She knew when he looked at her, all he saw was a girl barely into her 20s, with dark blue eyes that looked grey due to the dark bags underneath them. She couldn’t do anything about her windswept blonde hair, which hung raggedly around her face. Her cropped shirt held a faded logo of a rock band, and she wore blue jeans that were faded and ragged. Her black boots were spiked, reminiscent of the 2007 emo era. He wouldn’t see the grey wings that extended from her back, nor the horns that out of her skull. He wouldn’t see the elongated canines or the spiked tail that moved of its own volition. He would see an ordinary girl that was too obsessed with punk rock and had made some tasteless fashion choices before she had died.

“Who are you?” he rasped.

“I’m Rory Carmichael. You’re not a ghost.”

“Of course I’m not a ghost, you idiot! There’s no such thing!” She felt her shoulders tense. What a disgusting little creature. Rory wondered how he would have reacted to her true form. She saw movement up on the cliff edge and frowned. It was like herding cats, honestly. She recognized this ghost as well. Boris Hanover, or as he liked to call himself, “Danger Larry” (why, she didn’t know), had a habit of forgetting about the cliff and wandering off. Why he didn’t stay in the city with the other ghosts was beyond her. She walked away, the annoying little bald man following her, continually yelling at her about the “non-existence of the afterlife” and how it was “all a sham” and how he was “the only true god because he was powerful and…”. She tuned him out.

“Boris!” she called. Boris looked up. For a ghost, he was relatively ordinary looking. Slightly grey like the world around him, he was a small man with a paunch. He wore a garish orange vest and a bright yellow construction hat that he somehow always managed to find batteries for the light which he then continually left on. She always had to squint to look at him. As far as Rory knew, Boris had never been a construction worker in his life. She was pretty sure he had worked IT in a bank. She knew this because under the vest he wore a suit and tie, with a shiny badge clipped to his chest stating he had once worked for First Kansas Bank. This was also how she knew his name was not actually “Danger Larry”. He had died in his 40s of a heart attack, and he had told her so jovially over drinks at the single bar in the City of the Dead. To be honest, Boris was one of her favorite ghosts, though she would never admit it out loud.

“Carmichael!” He exclaimed, bouncing over to her. Boris never walked, he bounced like a happy orange beach ball, “I told you to call me ‘Danger Larry’.” Rory sighed. The longer ghosts stayed in Limbo, the more exuberant and forgetful they became.

“You’re at the cliff again, ‘Danger’,” she said sarcastically, “and Larry is not even remotely close to anything in your name.” Boris looked behind him, eyes widening comically at the infinite drop behind him.

“So I am! Saved me again, Carmichael.” Boris clearly decided the conversation was over, and began bouncing along his merry way. Unfortunately, he went in the wrong direction and bounced off the cliff. Rory kneaded her forehead.

“He jumped off a cliff! Why would he do that?” screeched the annoying bald man behind her. “Because he’s dead, and the dead don’t get a lot of thrills.” Rory then made an abrupt decision, and dove after Boris “Danger Larry” Hanover.


	3. In Which Lex Luthor Realizes There are Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex muttered and paced, looking over at the cliff. He didn’t even know where he was, how could that girl, that Rory, inconvenience him like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I planned to post this yesterday morning, but I didn't. Go Chiefs!

Lex Luthor was having an awful day. There were three things about today he especially disliked. One, Superman and Supergirl were still alive and loved by the public. That was always a given. Two, he had been pulled into a wormhole and thrown off a waterfall. And three, the worst part, was he had run into a girl. Now Lex wasn’t sexist (he actually was) but he was in the opinion that women were bothersome annoying _lesser_ creatures that should know their place. Of course, his sister, the little bitch, had decided nix him from HIS company. And then there was this girl! She showed up out of nowhere in her boots covered with spikes, and promptly ignores his intellectual spouting on the afterlife not being real, which should be taken as law, and then jumps off a cliff after some idiot.

He muttered and paced, looking over at the cliff. He didn’t even know where he was, how could that girl, that _Rory_ , inconvenience him like this. Then he was abruptly blown back, toppling over as Rory flew over him and landed. Lex looked at her, mouth gaping in shock.

Rory looked different. Before she had been grey, but now she glowed with an almost golden light. Large grey wings flapped gently, stirring the grass. Pitch black horns extended gracefully from her head, and a barbed tail waved behind her. The eyes that stared at him had changed from dark blue to almost pure white. He cowered back. Those eyes could read him better than anyone.

In that moment, Lex Luthor believed in the afterlife. In that moment, Lex realized there would be repercussions for the terrible things he had done.

“Do you believe in the afterlife now, Lex Luthor?” It took Lex a moment to realize he was shaking. Her voice reminded him of the screams he had heard when he turned the sun red, screams of the terrified and the dying.

“What are you?” he whispered. She changed back to the girl he had met on the riverbank.

“I am the Carmichael,” she said simply, pulling something that looked almost like a veil from her pocket and setting it on the ground. The man in the orange vest popped up, grinning very happily for someone who just stepped of the edge of a cliff.

“Carmichael, that was fun! Let’s do it again!” Rory shook her head.

“Not today Boris, I do have a job to do.” Boris nodded in what seemed to almost be wise manner.

“Because the living have entered Limbo,” he said sagely. Rory almost looked surprised.

“That is correct, Boris. I have to return him to the surface, where he belongs.”

“I’ll see you for drinks later then,” Boris said, “See you later, Carmichael!” He then went bouncing away down the hill, towards a large city that Lex somehow not noticed all this time. Lex looked at Rory, warily.

“You’re bringing me back?” he asked, “Isn’t that against the rules?”

“Nah. You’re still alive, which means you get a free pass. If you were dead, it would be almost impossible, and I wouldn’t be helping you. But you’re not dead.”

“So, what are you actually?” Lex asked as she set off down the hill at a brisk pace. Rory smiled grimly.

“You don’t want to know.”

______________________________________________

John Constantine drummed his fingers on the table in front of him. The conundrum of Lex Luthor disappearing and the sudden disturbance in the spirit world were definitely not a coincidence. He was irritated that no one had bothered to tell him about the Luthor disappearance until that Superman fellow showed up, all aflutter about his missing villain, linking to the sudden wrongness he was feeling in his connection to magic. The group all turned to him when he cleared his throat.

“So, you all mucked up the spirit world.” Barry Allen sputtered, offended.

“We were trying keep Metropolis from being wiped off the map! We did nothing to the spirit world.”

“Look mates, whatever you did or didn’t do, we now have a living being wandering around Limbo, destroying the balance of the planes. Someone has to go get Luthor before he somehow manages to destroy the balance.”

“Wouldn’t that destroy it more?” Superman asked.

“Well, pretty, it may. But the sooner we get him out, the better. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Limbo, so who’s coming with me?” Superman and Supergirl stood up so quickly, John almost got whiplash. 

“Well, neither of you can come,” he said, “There’s no sun. Anyway, we need someone who has a strong connection, and while you both have dead, they’ve moved on.” John sniffed, then met Sara’s eyes. She was glaring at him.

“You want me,” she huffed. He grinned.

“Come on love, just like old times. I also want speedy over there,” he said, pointing at Barry, who startled, “He’s still got dead that haven’t gone on.” John frowned. He needed one more.

“You, Batty, you’ll do. You have dead as well.” Batwoman stared at him impassively. John rubbed his hands together.

“Who’s ready to go on an adventure?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going to aim to post on Saturdays! Also, comment which Arrowverse Leaguer you want to see next!


	4. In Which Lex Luthor Meets His Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At first, they looked like ordinary people, ranging in all ages. The smallest was a child holding a ratty teddy bear, her hair in pigtails, her ratty overalls torn at the knees. She was barefoot and missing one of her front teeth. She glared at him with foggy eyes.
> 
> “You killed us,” she said, her voice echoing throughout the silent city, “you murdered us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating change! I was not planning on having anything exceptionally gory happen, but Lex has hurt a lot of people. Also I just watched the most recent Supergirl episode, anyone else done with Lex?

Lex Luthor did not like the City of the Dead. It smelled like mildew and damp and grime. The grey fog that seeped clung to him like cobwebs. What was most unnerving was the city was silent. No cars, no people busy trying to get places as fast as they could, no vendors yelling. While Lex had never enjoyed the noise of humanity, he hadn’t realized how comforting it was not to feel alone.

Not to say there weren’t people. There were plenty of people, with the same quality Boris had had. Translucent figures stood on the streets, Lex never able to make out features until they were right in front of him. He could feel their gaze on him, even though he couldn’t see eyes. He caught up with Rory, who was strolling through the city like she knew the exact way the zigzagging streets went.

“Why are they all staring at me?” Lex asked, “Don’t they have anything better to do?” Rory looked around, seeing the ghosts.

“You’re alive, and they can tell. The living have a glow about them. And no, they don’t have anything to do. They’re dead, all they have to do is wait.”

“When you say a glow, do you mean like you had earlier?” he asked. She shook her head emphatically.

“I glow like an angel. The living glow differently. It’s hard to describe. You have color, I suppose is the best answer. Color is a limited thing around here, if you couldn’t tell. Now hush!” Lex quieted. His skin itched, feeling the ghosts watching him. He began to hear whispers, slowly becoming a low hum. It surrounded him, menacing, like the buzzing of hornets. He saw Rory’s shoulders stiffen. She hesitated as the mass of grey gathered around them.

“Back up, all of you,” Rory called, slowly moving until she stood next to Lex. Her eyes flicked from ghost to ghost as they all stared at him. Whispers rose and fell and slowly the grey fog began to melt away.

At first, they looked like ordinary people, ranging in all ages. The smallest was a child holding a ratty teddy bear, her hair in pigtails, her ratty overalls torn at the knees. She was barefoot and missing one of her front teeth. She glared at him with foggy eyes.

“You killed us,” she said, her voice echoing throughout the silent city, “you murdered us.”

“You wanted power,” an elderly man with tinted sunglasses and a cane with a porcelain bird head that shone white like bone, his pristine black suit without a wrinkle, said, glaring at Lex, “our lives were ended before their time because you refused to accept that you were less powerful than Superman.”

A woman with a grey hijab wrestled herself out of the arms of a bearded man and shoved her way through the crowd, “My daughter is alone! Without her mother, without her father!” Tears streaked down her cheeks. Rory gently rebuffed her. As Lex stared at the crowd of shades, something changed. Suddenly the little girl was streaked in ash, her pigtails smoking, half her face blistered and burned. The elderly man’s sunglasses were cracked, his suit torn and streaked in dust, blood dripping down his face, his leg dragging behind him and twisted at an awkward angle. The crying mother’s face became skeletal, blood streaming from her eyes. Her ribs twisted out of her chest. Her breathing turned into a rattle. He looked out over the rest of the mob and paled. They had all shifted from completely ordinary people to wraiths, their black eyes staring out of unnaturally white faces, wounds slowly dripping blood, broken bones exposed. He looked at Rory and saw that she had changed back to the glowing creature with wings. Her barbed tail lashed with apprehension. He noticed that she floated above the ground slightly. The ghosts flinched back from the glow.

“Move on,” she said. A member of the crowd stepped forward, a man that had to be over six feet tall. Lex saw sparks flicker from the gaping hole in his chest, and he realized who the man was. Otis Graves, one of his old henchmen. It seemed that he was finally dead permanently.

“You don’t get to tell us what to do!” He pulled back his fist, prepared to punch her. Lex didn’t see exactly how it happened, but suddenly a silver curved sword protruded from Otis’s chest. Otis gasped, and then dissolved into a grey wisp of smoke. Another sword appeared in Rory’s other hand as her glowing white eyes flashed.

“I said, _move back_.” The crowd wheeled back, and then ran. Once again, they were alone in the city streets. Rory had shifted back to what looked like an ordinary girl, the swords back wherever they had come from.

“Come on,” Rory sighed, “Before they decide they do want to try challenging me.” She set off down the street at a brisk walk. Lex was about to follow when something made him pause. He looked behind him and saw a small shadow looking at him. A very familiar shadow.

“Miss Teschmacher?” She looked exactly how he remembered, her golden blonde hair twisted into ringlets, her chin tilted up proudly, her mouth twisted into that slight smirk he remembered. Lex had never cared for anyone, not really, but he had always felt that Eve had potential.

“Hi Lex,” she purred.

­ ________________________________________________________

Kate Kane was cold. When John had invoked the spell, she had thought there would be a portal, like there had been to the different Earths. Instead, her stomach had dropped and she felt like she had been flipped upside down into freezing water. She opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them. She was surrounded by grey fog, tendrils snaking around her boots. She looked around. Barry looked uncomfortable, his normally glaring red suit dull, his face pale and bleached of color. Sara seemed like she almost belonged in this place, her white suit blending in with her surroundings, the grey fog falling over her like a blanket. And John? John looked as he always did, a cigarette already lit and glowing through the dark.

“Welcome to Limbo,” John said, “Couple of rules before we start going. One, try to talk quietly. The dead here are already restless and they _really_ don’t like the living. Two, us being here upsets the balance. You all have a connection to Limbo some way or another. You,” he pointed at Sara, “were dead, once upon a time, and spent over a year in this place. You,” he then pointed at Barry, “have made your peace with your dead, and therefore are welcome here. And you,” he then looked over at Kate, “You have unfinished business with your dead. That is the only reason why we’re able to be here without impacting the veil. That’s why Luthor being here is such a problem. He has no dead, he has no remorse, and he’s killed plenty of people who are now stuck in this place.”

“So, let’s get him and get out,” Sara said, “This place… it feels wrong.” She started walking. John grabbed her arm.

“One more rule. Don’t piss off the Carmichael. She rules this place, and is the only one here that could actually hurt us. Knowing her, she already knows we’re here and is probably pissed. I’m surprised she hasn’t already come and kicked our asses back to the land of the living.” He let go of Sara’s arm and began walking.

“Where are you going?” Kate asked. John’s voice echoed back to her.

“Why, the City of the Dead, of course. If Luthor survived his little journey, that’s where he’ll be.” They followed him. Kate noticed around them were shadows of trees, their branches twisting like something out of a horror movie. Slowly, the ground began to rise and they reached the crest of a hill and the land around them became lighter. They looked out over a large city, the skyscrapers old and crumbling. It almost reminded Kate of Gotham, and she was strangely comforted.

“It’s beautiful in a way, isn’t it,” a voice behind them said. They all whirled. Before them stood a man Kate didn’t recognize, but Barry and Sara clearly did.

“Dr. Stein!” They both hugged him tightly, “What are you doing here?” The elderly man chuckled. Kate began to notice the grey translucence this Dr. Stein had.

“I’m waiting. That’s what you do here, you know. I’m waiting for Clarissa and my children, and then I’ll move on. But you two aren’t dead, so why are you here?”

“Lex Luthor somehow got here through a wormhole that opened up, so we’re here to bring him back to the land of the living,” Sara said.

“It’s really good to see you, Dr. Stein,” Barry smiled sadly, “We really miss you.” Dr. Stein smiled back.

“I miss you all too, more than words can say. How is my family?” he asked.

"Jefferson spends time with them often, and he’s married with a kid now too.” Dr. Stein nodded.

“You must go, and I must stay here and wait for my family to arrive. Tell them… tell them I love them.” They hugged again and Kate looked away. She wondered if she would see her family here.

She wondered if she would see Bruce. 


	5. In Which Lex Luthor Gets Drunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the very long hiatus, I caught the flu and was out for a week and had to catch up with my classes... somehow I'm still not caught up. Anyways, I'm back and it's spring break!

Lex Luthor didn’t like people. That was a given. However, Eve Teschmacher had always intrigued him. On the outside, the girl seemed innocent. Rather ditzy for someone who went to Yale, but he had dealt with it as the girl was clever. Lex was shocked to see her here though. He had followed her to a seedy little bar in a literal hole in the wall, Rory cursing him under her breath the entire way. Honestly, if he heard one more comment about the “living should be with the living” he would throw himself back into the river. Lex knew following Eve wasn’t one of his greatest ideas, but he was curious. Why was she dead? As he entered the bar, the first thing he noticed was the sudden hush, something he was slowly becoming used to in this strange place. Cloudy eyes stared at him form every corner, conversation pausing. Then they all turned back to each other, noise resuming.

It was the first time in Limbo that it was loud and overwhelming. Rory stepped up beside him. The crowd did not hush for her, but then, he supposed she wasn’t the strange one here.

“I know, it’s noisy. This place is pretty popular. You can only be sad and depressed about your death for a while before it gets boring,” she commented quietly, yet he heard everything. He looked around and spotted Eve in the back corner. He walked briskly over to her, feeling Rory’s presence disappear from his side. He slid into the booth, noting the sticky feel of the table with distaste.

“Ms. Teschmacher, what a surprise.” Eve smiled coyly at him.

“Why Lex, aren’t we on first name terms yet? After all, your sister did murder me.” Lex paused.

"So when Lena made Hope…”

“She signed my death warrant. She coded over my brain, effectively killing me. Come on, Lex, you’re not usually this dense.” Lex felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance. He did not enjoy being called stupid.

“Eve…”

“Threaten me all you like, we’re in the land of the dead, Lex. There’s nothing you can do to me, and I’m just here until I,” she made quotation marks sarcastically, “move on.”.

“Where do you go?” Lex asked, “Where do you go to move on?” Eve snorted.

“Well, I’m definitely going nowhere good, but to go there all I have to do is go to Wayne Tower.” Lex frowned.

“Why Wayne Tower?” Eve shrugged.

“That’s just the way it is here. Haven’t you noticed this place is modeled after Gotham?” Lex frowned in annoyance. He hadn’t, but it made sense. Gotham in the land of the living was the crime capital of the world. The fact that it was the City of the Dead made sense. He felt a presence over his shoulder suddenly and looked up. Rory stood next to him, three bottles in hand. She set them down on the table.

“If we’re going to be here for a while, we might as well drink.” Lex frowned.

“I’m not drinking anything from here,” he sniffed. Rory rolled her eyes.

“Don’t be a snob, Lex. Just drink the shit,” she said, picking up one of the bottles and taking a long drink. Eve picked up one of the other ones and sipped it daintily. Lex sighed and picked up the third one.

______________________________________________

Sara did not like Limbo. She knew she had been here, back when she was dead. It was familiar, and memories were slowly coming back. Memories of wandering streets that all looked the same, of a horrific creature that glowed brighter than the sun, of a tower that drew her closer every day she was stuck in this hellhole. She remembered feeling like she could scream for days and no one would ever hear her. She shuddered, focusing on something other than her own thoughts. She could feel Barry beside her, his nervous agitation making her skin itch. He wasn’t the only one that was nervous. She could see Kate peering around corners, prepared for someone to jump out and attack them. She could feel her own heart hammering in her chest. They were getting closer and closer to the City of the Dead, the crumbling skyscrapers becoming clearer through the grey smog. Finally, they stood at a crossing of grass to asphalt. John turned around, his body slouched, hands in pockets. She would have believed he was relaxed if not for his darting eyes and the flame of the cigarette that still burned.

“All right, all of you, things are going to get weird.” They stepped over the grass together and everything suddenly changed. They were immersed in a crowd of people who all had that same translucent quality Stein had. Sara suddenly felt claustrophobic and understood why Stein had decided to camp above the city. The crowd of grey gave her a sense of deep melancholy that set in her bones.

“Sara!” she heard someone yell, but she felt like she was moving through molasses. The voices were fading. She was suspended in water again, drowning. Then her shoulders burned and she was back. Back in the crowd of ghosts. She met the eyes in front of her and saw John, his face unreadable, but his hands clenched her shoulders tightly, and she could see him trembling slightly. She looked at Barry, and saw his brow was furrowed worriedly, while Kate was tense, staring at her with concern

“I’m fine,” Sara said, lifting John’s hands from her shoulders.

“You’re not, love. This place is drawing you in, isn’t it?” She glared at him.

“I said I was fine, John.” She whirled and kept walking towards the city. She knew she wasn’t okay. She knew this place was slowly drawing her back in. She had been dead for over a year, her soul trapped in this place. She felt a turning in her stomach. How long before she, before they couldn’t go back to the land of the living?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and the kudos! I would have promised not to leave you guys on a cliffhanger like the last one, but you read the chapter. Posts will resume (hopefully) on Saturdays.


	6. In Which Lex Luthor Has Some Regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is staying safe and doing okay in this strange time.

Lex Luthor felt like he was floating. He had not been drunk often. When he drank, he drank to show off how rich he was, with expensive alcohol in hand and a casual sneer on his face. However, this… he didn’t know what it was. It wasn’t beer, it wasn’t liquor. It was something made from something in the city. He turned to Rory.

"What is this stuff?” he slurred. Strange. It acted fast. Rory smirked.

“You sure you want to know?” Lex nodded rapidly. While he was a greedy, psychopathic asshole, somewhere deep in his heart there still was the little boy who just wanted to learn how things worked, no matter what cost.

If he thought about that deeply enough, maybe he would realize that that was his core issue with the Supers. Lex had prided himself on knowing humanity. Humans, at their center, were selfish creatures that would sacrifice anything for their own needs. And yet, the Supers didn’t. Instead, they sacrificed their own needs for the needs of others. It had to be a trick, a joke! It wasn’t just that they had too much power that could make them gods if they ever changed sides, or that he was jealous of their power. No, it was because he was afraid. Because his mind couldn’t process how two aliens from outer space that had almost infinite power, but refused to do anything but be selfless with it. He had grown up with people with questionable morality, and yet these two Kryptonians seemed to have none.

People were inherently selfish. That was a fact. Shaking himself, Lex listened to Rory talk about how they had alcohol in the City of the Dead.

“So, the Greeks were half right. The City of the Dead is what they called the Fields of Asphodel. However, people eventually go on. We get the fruit from the pomegranate trees that grow on the outskirts of the city.” Lex paused in taking another drink. He knew his Greek myths too.

“Am I… am I stuck here now!?” his voice, while starting quiet, had grown into a shout. Rory snorted.

“Calm down. That’s just a myth. You’re still going to be able to leave and go back to ruining the lives of thousands of people.” Lex shifted uncomfortably as Rory got up to grab some more drinks. Eve watched him carefully. He met her eyes and quickly looked away.

“You didn’t like what she said, did you.” It was a statement, not a question. Lex stared at the brown bottle in his hand. No, he had not liked what she said. He knew what he did impacted people. He knew a lot of people considered him to be a villain, although not anymore. A small part of him wondered if it would be so hard to get a new start. He was already known as a humanitarian. Would it be so hard for him to become one? He looked back at Eve.

“Do you think I could change?” he asked. His mind felt muddled but this thought was clear. Eve met his eyes. For a moment, she looked sad. Sorry for him. Then he saw the mask slide back down.

“You’re a narcissistic sociopath who is hungry for power, you really believe you could change?” She began laughing. Lex felt that small part of himself that wanted to change shrink back into the dark recesses of his mind. He let his mask slide back into place. He leaned back, crossing his legs and letting himself seem to relax. He listened to the conversation around him, feeling himself slowly becoming solidly drunk. He wasn’t sure where Rory had gone, nor did he care. He didn’t care about anything, anymore.

Then the door burst open and in walked the heroes wearing their stupid costumes, as well as some idiot in a trench coat, all glowing, Lex realized, like himself.

___________________________________________________________________

John was starting to feel afraid. This place was bad for all of them, he knew that. But he could see Sara fading before them, the dark circles under her eyes becoming ever more pronounced, her skin so white it was almost translucent. The fog clung to her like a blanket, leeching away her glow of life. Maybe he was wrong to bring her, but he knew he couldn’t bring any of the others. Either they were blooming idiots, or had no connections to this place. Sara obviously had the strongest connection; her soul had been trapped here, unable to move on, for over a year. Still, he felt himself fretting as they walked through the maze of streets. He had been hoping Sara could lead them through this place, but she still seemed to be in a daze. Barry was twitching and the Batwoman had her hands on her weapons, scanning the milling crowd around them. John was about to stop one of the ghosts and ask if they had seen a living man somewhere around when a voice called out behind them.

“Barry?” Barry froze, turning slowly around. Behind them stood a man who looked very familiar, but the one John had met had been in a winter coat and very much alive.

“Snart?!” Barry said incredulously, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m dead, obviously, Barry,” the man drawled.

“I think he meant in Limbo, Snart.” John glanced at Sara. She seemed tense, her arms crossed over her chest. He had never learned exactly how Snart died, just that he had been a hero. He had also never known that the man and Sara had had a history. Interesting. Snart’s gaze softened when he looked at Sara.

“Just waiting for my sister and Mick. And you all.”

“So, you saw Stein then?” Sara asked. Snart nodded.

“We had a good long talk over drinks. It’s sad that the old man died, but such is life.” John decided that now was the time to interrupt this awkward reunion.

“Speaking of life, don’t suppose you’ve seen one of the living wandering hereabouts recently?” Snart looked at him.

“Why do we have another Brit in a trench coat? Was that really necessary?” Sara snorted.

“John’s a magician. Speaking of, Rip here anywhere?” Snart nodded.

“He’s holed up in a building somewhere, waiting for his family to die tragically so he can move on with them. He knows he’s got a long wait. Unfortunately, there’s not skipping ahead in Limbo. If you die in a certain time, and you’re waiting for someone, you get to look forward to a long-ass time of being stuck here. And before you ask, your sister isn’t here. She already moved on with some guy named Tommy. She said she would see you on the other side, but she wasn’t staying another moment in this hellhole.” John cleared his throat and Snart seemed to remember his question.

“There was a living causing a ruckus earlier. Last I heard, he’s holed up in one of the bars. Just keep going straight for two blocks and take a right. You can’t miss it, and if you do, Danger Larry’s always lurking there around this time and will guide the way.”

“Why can’t you lead us?” Barry asked. Snart held up a six pack.

“I’m on my way to visit Rip. He needs some cheering up, and I like drinking so. Good combination.”

“Well, it was good seeing you again, Snart.”

"You too, _Barry_ ,” Snart turned to Sara, “Have a good life Sara. I’ll see you again someday.” Sara smiled at him.

“Someday.” Captain Cold walked away from them, swinging his beers as they turned and walked down the meandering streets once again. Now that they knew they were going, it was a brisk walk. They found the bar (and Danger Larry, who’s nametag strangely said Boris Hanover, but the man was insistent on his name being ‘Danger Larry’) and were preparing to walk in.

“Remember, we’re here for Lex Luthor. I don’t think we’ve attracted the Carmichael’s attention yet, so let’s grab him and get out before she knows that we’re here.” They walked through the door together, ready to drag Lex out kicking and screaming.

Instead, they were met by a very drunk Lex singing at a karaoke machine, and a very angry Carmichael tapping her foot, arms crossed over her punk crop top, her face pulled into a definite scowl.

“John Constantine,” she growled, “You have some nerve showing up in the City of the Dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little explanation: there are still thousands of people who are dead. We may have Earth Prime, but there's a bunch of people that didn't survive. I know the shows were explaining this, but I just thought I would say that the City of the Dead still has some of our favorite people trapped inside.


	7. NOT A CHAPTER - JUST AN UPDATE.

Hi everyone,

This is not a story post. I'm planning on continuing posting every Saturday, especially now with school completely cancelled. 

Which brings me to the main reason for this post. By now, we've all been impacted by the pandemic that has swept across the world. I know we're all anxiety ridden, and I know we all are struggling with staying home with minimal contact. We're all struggling to stick together and work together. 

Help your community if you can. Support each other, and overall, be kind. 

I know the current role model citizens of the U.S. have is spreading lies and inciting panic. What he said today regarding those of Asian descent was disgusting. He cannot represent us. We cannot blame a particular group for this global issue and we cannot allow others to that either. Educate your friends and family. Trump was the one who had two months to take action, and instead cited COVID-19 as a democratic hoax. He is also the one who never replaced the pandemic team after he fired them in 2018. He is the one now allowing citizens of the United States to be attacked online and in the streets for their race in order to take the blame off himself.

Do not let this man divide us. Be kind to each other, and take care of one another.

The only way through this is together.

Stay safe everyone,

A


	8. In Which Lex Luthor Breaks His Nose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a short chapter this time. But we get introduced to a new character and we learn more about Rory! 
> 
> Hope everyone staying safe.

Lex Luthor was struggling with climbing off the stage he had been invited onto, after having been interrupted halfway through singing his heartfelt rendition of “The Middle”. He wasn’t quite sure how he’d gotten up there. But it was proving to be much harder to climb down. He tripped over the microphone cable and teetered, and promptly fell off the stage. He groaned. When he picked himself up, his nose was streaming blood. The heroes were hazy and tilting before his eyes.

“Seriously? He’s hammered?” he heard one of them say.

“I mean, it’s not a bad plan.”

“Guck off,” Lex slurred, clutching his broken nose. He found a place to sit down, hoping the world would stop spinning. Someone handed him a small pile of napkins and he tilted his head back.

“You know, I thought bringing him back would be a lot harder than this.”

“He’s a scrawny guy with no powers or skills, you seriously thought that this would be hard?”

"I mean, come on, he’s like the arch nemesis of the Supers, you’re telling me you _didn’t_ think this would be hard?” Lex could finally tell who was standing there. Barry Allen, otherwise known as the Flash, was holding a small pile of napkins in his hand. Beside him stood Sara Lance, her arms crossed. Finally, Batwoman, or Kate Kane, stood glaring at him. Her mask was off, the iconic red wig dangling in her hand. He couldn’t see Rory anywhere.

“Ath fun ath thith ith…” Lex began.

“Shut up, Lex,” all three said. Lex shut his mouth. He had to clear his head. He wasn’t sure how the heroes were here. He hoped they were dead, but he could see the glow of life clinging to them, though for some reason Sara was almost flickering. She also seemed to have zoned out. Her hair had paled, her eyes were suddenly ringed in dark shadows. Lex shuddered, reminded of the wraiths. Barry turned to Sara, probably to make another quip.

“Sara?” Sara didn’t react. “Come on, Sara, wake up!” Sara blinked, color returning to her hair and face. 

“It happened again, didn’t it?” she asked. Barry and Kate’s eyes were wide. Lex’s brain started to work again, calculating. Sara had been dead once. He remembered someone mentioned it after Oliver Queen died. Could being here in Limbo be doing something? If he could take advantage…

“Excuse me,” a voice behind them said. The heroes turned around as Lex leaned over to peer at the woman who stood quietly in the middle of the bar. She had dark brown hair that curled just above her shoulders. She wore a black dress that was conservative in style covered with a tan overcoat that had a fur collar. But what caught Lex’s eye was the string of pearls around her neck.

____________________________________________________________

Rory was irritated, to say the least. She had been enjoying Lex being absolutely hammered, when John Fucking Constantine walked into the bar, followed by three other living, one which she recognized. As soon as he had come in, she left the other heroes to watch Lex and dragged John to the backroom.

“Get out, H.R.,” Rory snapped. H.R., unaffected as usual, tipped his fedora and sauntered out. She growled, rubbing her temples. The overwhelming amount of the living in one area was giving her a headache. As soon as John had entered Limbo, she had known. She had just been really hoping she could get Lex out and deal with John later.

“So, love, we’re alone.”

“Fuck you, John Constantine. You screwed me.” John sighed, putting a cigarette in his mouth. Before he could light it, Rory grabbed it and crushed it under her boot.

“Hey!” he yelped.

“Because of you, you utter wanker, I’m stuck like this. I have to police angels, demons, and ghosts forever!”

“You volunteered!”

“I was dying and you and Morrigan offered a way out!”

“Well that’s on you then!” They were standing millimeters apart. John had gotten old, wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, a permanent five o’clock shadow. Meanwhile Rory was frozen in time. She wondered if she looked how he remembered, just with less blood. They were frozen in place. Old memories of loud music, secret kisses, and mysterious magic danced around them. She leaned in… then she heard the noise swell in the bar next door. She stepped back.

“Sit down John, let’s have a drink,” she said. John sat as Rory opened a bottle of rum and poured two glasses.

“So, you came down here to get Lex with three other living, even though you knew it would piss me off.” John propped his feet on the desk, and she promptly knocked them off.

“You’re lucky the two Supers didn’t come with me,” he said, taking a long drink. Rory smirked.

“Then I would have killed you, John.” John waved his hand, unaffable.

“Can you take us to Wayne Tower or not?” he asked.

“I can take you to Wayne Tower,” she said, “But you’re the ones who are going to have to get past the Guardian.”


End file.
